The sounds of the city are overwhelming. When I open the balcony doors of my apartment in the morning, the city is there like a great sucking machine: honking, an electric organ, and behind that the mix of everything too far away to hear distinctly. But I also hear things that I'm not used to hearing in a city, such as the sound of chickens and the bleating of goats, and last night when I was lying in bed I was convinced I heard a donkey braying on my roof.